I agree that this is a great tool to break through that platue etc.... I think what Daydreamer was trying to say to gopintos was that eating 400 calories a day for 10 days can do serious damage to your matabolism. I agree.....you have to at least up your potato consumption so that you are eating in a more normal range of say 1000 to 1200 calories per day. Anorexia nervosa is obviosly not an issue here but if you continue eating 400 calories per day for the full 7-10 days you are going to start seeing some metabolism slow down issues when you reintoduce normal calorie intake again. Your body starts adjusting moving into "starvation" mode about 3 to 4 days into eating less than say 800-1000 calories a day (for women).
I see how this "potato feast" can work and I find no fault in trying it out. I had planned on trying it myself today but decided to wait until I can do a full 7 to 10 day potato feast. But I will make sure I am eating at least 1000 calories of potatoes per day as I don't need the metabolism slow down that will happen. I have enough metabolism issues as it is

F/37yr/5' 5"
SW: 154 March 2011
CW: 140 July to Oct 2011
PB: 145 gained 5lbs in first 4 months March to July 2012
With a combo of PB and IF-ing 5 days a week (1 x 1200 calorie meal per day) I have lost 15 lbs PB/IF = 130 lbs July 2012 to current
GW: 120
Ultimate Goals ar to be: Happy/ Fit/ Energetic/ Feel great/ Balanced/ cure my thyroid and adrenals

I am use to IF, so everything I do is in a fasted state. So I have actually had more energy, or so it feels like it. I really have felt pretty darn good. Again I dont know if psychological, or it is because I have lots to get done for my trail ride Saturday, but twice on taters, I have ridden my horse for 6 hours (well an hour of catching, tacking, unsaddling, feeding, putting him up, putting tack up - and doing this for two horses yesterday) and the rest of the time, cutting brush, getting on & off to get gates, to haul trees off the path, etc. I havent got on & off my horse w/o a stump or wagon wheel for over 3 years! So I have really been feeling amazing!

Now I am in manic house cleaning mode. Tomorrow will be windows and I have lots of windows and 7 sliding glass doors and about I dont know 60-70 feet of clear porch railing, like a plexiglass stuff almost, that will need both sides windexed. fun fun. Actually, I kind of am looking forward to it because I have not felt much like doing any exercise for quite some time. I was able to add tabata on my elliptical back in a few weeks ago, but that was when I added some carbs back in and was starting to cut the fat back out.

I think what Daydreamer was trying to say to gopintos was that eating 400 calories a day for 10 days can do serious damage to your matabolism. I agree.....you have to at least up your potato consumption so that you are eating in a more normal range of say 1000 to 1200 calories per day.

I have heard mixed information on "starvation mode" especially with regards to long fasts, so w/o going there because I dont know enough, I will agree that instead of saying I had a range of 395 - 687, to which the 395 seems to be the focus, I should have said I had one day of 395, and one day of 512, one day of 621, & one day of 687. I just get full on taters, what can I say. I think one of the initial posts is that you will probably find you are about half of your normal calories.

I might also add that the lowest day, was right after the highest day. Maybe I was just tatered out the next day IDK. Oh, you know what?!! The lowest tater day, was the day that I was out all day with my horse!! The first time that I did not pack a week's worth of food with me to go trail riding. I took two taters but did not eat them. Just drank my water. I remember that day (well it was just last Sunday) and it was an amazing day! I had more energy than I knew what to do with. But then again, my horse does that to me. Very therapeutic for me

I have heard mixed information on "starvation mode" especially with regards to long fasts, so w/o going there because I dont know enough, I will agree that instead of saying I had a range of 395 - 687, to which the 395 seems to be the focus, I should have said I had one day of 395, and one day of 512, one day of 621, & one day of 687. I just get full on taters, what can I say. I think one of the initial posts is that you will probably find you are about half of your normal calories.

On the Paleo lifestyle, I normally eat between 1000 - 1300 daily and that's a lot of food for me. On the Potato Project, I'd have to consume 2.5 lbs of potatoes to = the same # of carbs. I'm eating between 1.2 and 1.5lbs of potatoes a day and there's no way I can consume anymore. I am satiated and I can't eat another frick'in potato to save my life. It could be that I'm not walking or lifting this week due to work and school commitments. I will see how Friday, Sat and Sunday go when I have more available time to workout. I'm stuffed on 1.2-1.5 lbs of potatoes daily.

Yes and obviously those are not exact numbers either as you are talking about nature with potatoes not a box with a label that tells you how many calories are in it. So you are right. You may be even higher or lower in calories than you have estimated. Most people I think actually under estimate when it comes to natural foods like potatoes.

I IF 5 days per week as well. Only eating 1 x 1200 calorie meal per day. I know what you mean about feeling lots of energy. I have noticed lately though that my temperature is getting lower and lower. I have been IF-ing like this for about 3 months now. When I first started eating 1 x 1200 calorie meals per day I had a really high temp for me. 99 degrees farnheit when my norm was about 98 degrees upon waking. I take my temps often as I have thyroid issues and thats how I monitor them. So now my temps are around 97.6 degrees upon waking. I am excited to see what happens when I start the potato feast to see if my temp is back up with the influx of added carbs. I will probably not start until Sunday or Monday as I have too much going on right now but I will keep you all updated on temps and the potato feast and my weight etc...

F/37yr/5' 5"
SW: 154 March 2011
CW: 140 July to Oct 2011
PB: 145 gained 5lbs in first 4 months March to July 2012
With a combo of PB and IF-ing 5 days a week (1 x 1200 calorie meal per day) I have lost 15 lbs PB/IF = 130 lbs July 2012 to current
GW: 120
Ultimate Goals ar to be: Happy/ Fit/ Energetic/ Feel great/ Balanced/ cure my thyroid and adrenals

On the Paleo lifestyle, I normally eat between 1000 - 1300 daily and that's a lot of food for me. On the Potato Project, I'd have to consume 2.5 lbs of potatoes to = the same # of carbs. I'm eating between 1.2 and 1.5lbs of potatoes a day and there's no way I can consume anymore. I am satiated and I can't eat another frick'in potato to save my life. It could be that I'm not walking or lifting this week due to work and school commitments. I will see how Friday, Sat and Sunday go when I have more available time to workout. I'm stuffed on 1.2-1.5 lbs of potatoes daily.

I honestly don't have a clue how many potatoes I will be able to eat. The thought of eating 2.5 lbs sounds..........horrendous right now. Especially since I do the IF 5 days a week and am only used to 1 big meal a day. Oy.....But I will see what happens when I start the feast and go from there. I am just one of those people who is serious about metabolism and don't like to mess with it. Hence my temp obsession I will work on the 2.5 lbs of potatoes and let you know how that goes when I start the feast. I may be eating my shoe then If no other reason than to get rid of the potatoe taste

F/37yr/5' 5"
SW: 154 March 2011
CW: 140 July to Oct 2011
PB: 145 gained 5lbs in first 4 months March to July 2012
With a combo of PB and IF-ing 5 days a week (1 x 1200 calorie meal per day) I have lost 15 lbs PB/IF = 130 lbs July 2012 to current
GW: 120
Ultimate Goals ar to be: Happy/ Fit/ Energetic/ Feel great/ Balanced/ cure my thyroid and adrenals

Yes and obviously those are not exact numbers either as you are talking about nature with potatoes not a box with a label that tells you how many calories are in it. So you are right. You may be even higher or lower in calories than you have estimated. Most people I think actually under estimate when it comes to natural foods like potatoes.

I IF 5 days per week as well. Only eating 1 x 1200 calorie meal per day. I know what you mean about feeling lots of energy. I have noticed lately though that my temperature is getting lower and lower. I have been IF-ing like this for about 3 months now. When I first started eating 1 x 1200 calorie meals per day I had a really high temp for me. 99 degrees farnheit when my norm was about 98 degrees upon waking. I take my temps often as I have thyroid issues and thats how I monitor them. So now my temps are around 97.6 degrees upon waking. I am excited to see what happens when I start the potato feast to see if my temp is back up with the influx of added carbs. I will probably not start until Sunday or Monday as I have too much going on right now but I will keep you all updated on temps and the potato feast and my weight etc...

I know that's right. At first, I was tracking it as a "small" potato, up to 2.5 inches I think it was. Then I found another tater in my tracker, to where I could weigh it out on my scale.

I found also, that with fasting, my calories were low. Anywhere from 1000-1300. I was just full. It really just depended on how large my window was. If I ate once a day, I was on the low end. 5 hour window might be on the high end. And I was one hot mama all. the. time. All the damn time it seems haha. I would wake up on and off all night long, getting too hot. And I was tested. Not menopausal.

Now, I am running colder. I have not been taking my temps, I just feel colder. Our weather has changed also and we did turn the heat on but not up all that high but I have definitely noticed a change in my temperature.

I should add that DH likes that part. I don't freeze him out at night with the fans and open sliding door, and I snuggle more now, to get warm

I've eaten 4 potatoes at about 160 calories each so that's about 640 calories so far. If they were large potatoes (should have used a tape measure, eh?) then we're talking 1120 calories already. And the day's not done yet. Seems mighty easy to get plenty of calories from potatoes if you ask me.

It's easy enough to run. Weekend before last I went out on a fasted run, no breakfast. I started at 10am and finished around 3pm. I don't know how many miles that was, but I never lost energy. That's what being a fat-burning beast is all about, right?

But today I felt like a sugar-burning beast. I felt like I started to bonk part way through my 5 mile run. But then I recovered, so maybe I didn't totally kill my met-flex with one day of potatoes.

My plan was to only do this today and tomorrow just as a test. So far I feel kinda weird and I'm not sure I like the way I feel, but I'm not starving, so that's a plus.

I honestly don't have a clue how many potatoes I will be able to eat. The thought of eating 2.5 lbs sounds..........horrendous right now. Especially since I do the IF 5 days a week and am only used to 1 big meal a day. Oy.....But I will see what happens when I start the feast and go from there. I am just one of those people who is serious about metabolism and don't like to mess with it. Hence my temp obsession I will work on the 2.5 lbs of potatoes and let you know how that goes when I start the feast. I may be eating my shoe then If no other reason than to get rid of the potatoe taste

I IF 7 days per week normally. I eat 2 meals a day in a 6 hour window, and then fast for 18 hours without any issues at all. I've never had a problem with my metabolism (been thin my whole life and so has my mom, and every other member of my family). I'm not sure that my metabolism may be negatively affected by this 7 day fast, but that may be my naivety.

If you are able to eat 2.5lbs of potatoes daily, I will personally nominate you for the Super Spud Award -- a very distinguished Potato Project award, similar to the Darwinian Award.

I've eaten 4 potatoes at about 160 calories each so that's about 640 calories so far. If they were large potatoes (should have used a tape measure, eh?) then we're talking 1120 calories already. And the day's not done yet. Seems mighty easy to get plenty of calories from potatoes if you ask me.

It's easy enough to run. Weekend before last I went out on a fasted run, no breakfast. I started at 10am and finished around 3pm. I don't know how many miles that was, but I never lost energy. That's what being a fat-burning beast is all about, right?

But today I felt like a sugar-burning beast. I felt like I started to bonk part way through my 5 mile run. But then I recovered, so maybe I didn't totally kill my met-flex with one day of potatoes.

My plan was to only do this today and tomorrow just as a test. So far I feel kinda weird and I'm not sure I like the way I feel, but I'm not starving, so that's a plus.

I'm weighing my potatoes on a scale, (post-cooked), so I know exactly how many ounces I'm eating at every meal. I don't like guessing how many calories I'm taking in.